Adapter for connecting service fittings to drilling machines



Sept. 26, 1950 F. H. MUELLl-:R ETAT.

ADAPTER Foa coNNEcTING SERVICE FITTINGS T0 DRILLING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1949 INVENTORS` F'rzfz Mueller si' BY Jbzz Smit/a'.

Attafeyd,

Sept 26, 1950 l F` H. MUELLER ETAL 2,523,585

ADAPTER Fon coNNEcTING s ERvIcE FITTING-s To DRILLINGY-MAcHINEs .Filed umn v, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 ttor/eey@ Patented Sept. 26',r4 1950 UNITED STATES APn'rlslsrr olf-FICE ADAPTER FOR CONNEClZlING SERVICE FITTINGS TO DRILLING MACHINES Frank H. Mueller and John J. Smith,Decatur, Ill., assignors to Mueller Lo., Decatur, Ill., ,a corporation of Illinois Application March' 7, 1949, ,SerialdN0f7 9,943

locking the sameagainst rota-tivemovement when being threaded on a --branch connector or 4line Astopper fitting after the iitting'has been welded `or "otherwise connected to .the -main or service pipe. The different-size adapters are constructed and arrangedto provide simple; eicient sandeconomical means whereby one drilling machine may be conveniently used for tapping a main through a service T mounted thereon, and for inserting plugs in the T and line stopper fittings, and also for expanding rubber Stoppers in line stopper ttings and branch connectors of various sizes.

A further object consists in forming an adapter with a flange at one end having spaced notches around the outer edge of the flange for receiving a retaining member in order to lock the adapter in a fixed position. The adapters, which are various sizes, are externally threaded for connecting the same to a machine or valve body. The adapters are also internally threaded and are of different internal diameters so as to be conveniently connected to different size service Ts or line stopper fittings with which the adapter is to be used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the lower portion ofa drilling machine body connected to a fitting mounted on the service main, by our improved form of adapter.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a detailed plan view of the adapter.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of a line stopper fitting which may readily be connected to the machine body by one of the adapters.

1v Claim. (01.28%198) VReferring tothe drawings and, more particu- 1arly1 "igure 1, Ml indicates l'the lower end por.- tion of the body `of a drilling-machine orthe like such as disclosed in our copending application SerialvNo. 79,942.

Afservice Tor branch Yconnection YI-I is welded or votherwise'connected-at its lower end as at lf2 at the Vpoint Vadjacent-where the lateral opening t3 is to-'beformed intheivniain or service line I4 by the cutter l-I5 which-is detachably connected at its-upper end-toathefboring bar or other: tool,

vnot showmthat :extends axially through-the ffl fitting andthe body 1110, so as Vto Ibe operated-in substantially the `same 4manner -as thefboring bar in Vour said copend-ing application "Serial No.

-Tliebottom or lower -Wall `Hi `of thebody -If-is vprovidedwith an internally threaded-opening Il 4and has at fits :outer end an annular recess I-8. In :order-Eto connectservi'cey Tis and-line" stop.- per fittings of various sizes to the body l0 of the drilling machine, there is provided a new and improved form of adapter I9 which has at its lower end an outwardly extending radial flange 2U. The adapter is formed with an externally threaded portion 2| positioned above the flange 20 (Fig. 2). The external size and shape of the adapters and their externally threaded portions 2l may be the same, but each adapter is formed with an internally threaded portion 22 which varies in size and diameter so as to correspond to the particular size of service T or stopper fitting with which the adapter is to be used. The ilange 20 of each adapter has a plurality of preferably uniformly spaced notches or recesses 23 (Fig. 3) extending around the outer edge or perimeter of the flange for releasably receiving a threaded bolt or screw 24 that is arranged to be detachably connected to the wall of a complementary threaded opening 25 in the bottom IB of the body ID, so that when one of the notches 23 registers with the opening 25 and the bolt 24 is threaded into the opening, it will provide releasable retaining means for preventing rotation of the adapter.

The upper end portion of the service T Il is externally threaded as at 26 so as to be connected to the internally threaded portion 22 of the adapter when the parts are set up. The T Il may also be internally threaded at its upper end as at 21 for. receiving a closure plug or the like when the body l0 and its associated parts are removed. An O-ring packing or the like 28 is positioned in the recess I8 of the body l0 to provide a tight seal between the adapter I9 and the valve body when the parts are assembled,

and is retained in position by the annular ange 20 that is disposed adjacent the lower end or bottom I6 of the machine body I0.

Figure 5 shows a line stopper tting 29 which may be used for small pipe line Stoppers with which the drilling machine is associated, and is externally threaded at its upper end as at 3l so as to be connected to a machine body Ill or the like (Fig. 1) by an adapter I9 having the desired internally threaded diameter for engaging the threads 3| of the stopper, in order to rmly and securely connect the stopper to the body I0 of the machine.

It will be seen, by reason of the novel construction and arrangement of the adapter assembly, that one valve body I0, one 0-ring packing 28 and one retaining bolt 24 may be associated with several adapters having various sizes of inside threads 22 so as to receive various sizes of Ts and line stopperttings. Moreover, the rotation of the proper size adapter I9, associated Awith the body I0, may be arrested or stopped at :a point where one of the notches 23 in the 23 will maintain the adapter in a xed non- :rotatable position in order that the upper externally threaded portion of the T fitting II or filine stopper fitting 29 may be connected to the .internal threads of the adapter, after the fitting lhas been welded or otherwise secured to .the main I4. The O-ring packing is automatically 'forced into sealing engagement with the adapter by the fluid pressure so that it is not necessary that the iange 20 of the adapter abut the end :of the valve body when the parts are assembled. It will be understood that the form of the invention shown is subject to modications such yas fall within the scope of thevfollowing claim.

We claim: A

In combination with a drilling machine body', a fitting arranged to be connected to said body, the lower end of said body having a threaded opening, an adapter having an externally threaded portion engaging said threaded opening, said adapter having an internally threaded portion, said tting having an externally threaded portion connected to the internal threads on said adapter, the threaded opening in said body having an annular recess in the outer end thereof, a packing in said recess, said adapter having an outwardly extending radial ange overlapping the lower end of said body and said annular recess so as to retain the packing in the recess when the parts are assembled, means arranged to lock the adapter against rotary movement when threaded on the fitting, and said packing providing a seal between the adapter and the body when the parts are set up.

FRANK H. MUELLER. JOHN J. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 200,471 Northrup Feb. 19, 1878 997,464 Metcalf July 11, 1911 1,138,946 Elliott May 11, 1915 1,365,151 Burke Jan. 11, 1921 1,519,110 Brownell Dec. 16, 1924 1,701,786 McMurray Feb. 12, 1929 2,314,012 Mueller Mar. 16, 1943 2,413,878 Maky Jan. 7, 1947 

